


Thank You

by simthemuse



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Death Fic, Ficlet, Gen, Hurt and Very Little Comfort, Major character death - Freeform, mostly just hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 12:28:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19209448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simthemuse/pseuds/simthemuse
Summary: In life, Merlin was brave.In death, Merlin was afraid.





	Thank You

Arthur felt nothing but echoes in his chest. Heard nothing but Merlin’s ragged breaths. Saw nothing but blood, so much blood, _too much blood_.

Merlin writhed in his arms, squirming with pain but too weak to do anything about it. The blood wouldn’t stop, even with Arthur’s hands pressed into the wound.

Shuddering and seizing, he rasped out, “I-I always knew I’d die for y-you..." His face scrunched up as pain, confusion, fear, and even regret creased his pale, bloodied features. "...but n-now tha-that I-I’m here…”

There was a wet, glossy vulnerability in Merlin’s eyes. Merlin, the bravest, most formidable person Arthur had ever met. And now that bravery had shattered, leaving naught but a weeping child in its wake.

Arthur clutched him tighter. Damn his stupid tears! Not because he wasn’t supposed to cry, but because the tears in his eyes were blocking his view of Merlin. What might be his _last_ view of Merlin.

His voice was watery and quivering, eyes unable to lock onto any one thing. He tried to focus on Arthur’s face, just as determined to absorb every detail of Arthur as Arthur was to absorb every detail of Merlin.

“I-I don’t want...want t-to l-leave you, Ar-Arthur…”

Arthur pulled him closer, smothering Merlin’s limp body up against his chest.

“Then don’t,” he sobbed.

“I’m sorry,” said Merlin, and the shaking stilled, if only for a moment. “F-for everything. For l-lying...for failing y-you -”

“Stop it!” Arthur shouted, face puffy and tears streaming. He shook his head like a child in the throes of a tantrum. “Stop it! Stop talking like you’re going to die! You can’t leave me, Merlin!”

At this, Merlin hiccuped, and a bit of blood dribbled from his mouth, and Arthur regretted his outburst immediately.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin said again. His words were now nothing more than the faint ghosts of a whisper. And yet somehow, it was the only thing Arthur dared hear. Merlin’s fist was wound tight into Arthur’s shirt, holding it like it was his lifeline. Like if he held on tight enough, he might not fall away into the dark. Arthur wished it were true.

“Don’t say that. Don't you _dare_ apologize.” He choked on a sob. “I don’t care about the magic or the lies, dammit! You’re my best friend!”

Merlin let out a breathy, bloody laugh. Lines of red rolled past the corners of his lips. His eyes lidded heavily, and his head lolled into Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur tried not to think about how cold Merlin felt against his skin, cold like the touch of a dorocha.

“So..you f-f-forgive m-me…? A-accept me?”

“Yes! To the ends of the earth, yes!” Arthur was trembling too now. But where Merlin shook with exhaustion and agony, Arthur shook with desperation. “Just please don’t leave me. _Please_.”

Merlin closed his eyes completely, heedless to Arthur shaking his shoulder. He sighed in relief, but it sounded like more of a wheeze. “That’s all I-I’ve...all I’ve ever w-wanted…”

He coughed up more blood, and it splattered down his chin and onto his chest. His neckerchief was ruined.

Arthur tried to speak out to Merlin again, to say something, _anything_ , but the words kept getting caught in his throat.

Before he could, a cold, lithe hand ghosted his cheek. Merlin’s shaky eyes held gaze with Arthur, just long enough for him to whisper:

“Thank you.”

And the hand slipped away, and his eyes closed one last time, and the only heartbeat Arthur heard was his own.

Arthur fell into Merlin, arms wrapped tightly around him, cradling his face, blood no longer flowing. Arthur pressed his forehead to Merlin’s, weeping loudly and freely, tears bleeding onto the cold corpse cheeks of his best friend.

“No, Merlin. Thank _you._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, it's the first fic I've ever written that's under 1k words! Wild. It's new territory for me, since I usually write longer things. Most of the time I stick to 5k+ so I surprised even myself by writing this.   
> This little scene here has been bugging me for MONTHS now! I'm so glad to finally get it out of my head.   
> Also, thanks for giving this a read. Have a nice day :)


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